10, Vanity Fair
Those Who Do Not Sell the Truth
Vanity Fair – A Path We Must Cross
We now live in an age dominated by materialism and overconsumption.
A world where what you wear, where you live, how much you earn, and how much you spend determine a person’s value.
To live faithfully in such a world
is like passing through Vanity Fair in The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Christian and Faithful, having traversed the wilderness, finally arrived at this market.
It was a path they had to cross to reach the Celestial City.
There was no other way. Only by passing through this market could they continue.
Fig. 10-1: Christian and Faithful debating with the merchants of the marketWhere Earthly Transactions Take Place
Vanity Fair was a place where all worldly desires were traded:
houses, land, honor, titles, people, bodies, souls…
even “popularity,” “followers,” and “influence” came with price tags.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus also passed through such a market.
He was tempted by Beelzebul:
"If you bow to me, I will give you all this glory."
But Jesus said:
"Away, Satan! Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him."
He did not become the master of the market;
instead, He walked the path of truth.
“We Seek the Truth”
As Christian and Faithful entered the market,
voices of temptation echoed from all directions:
"Buy this, and you will shine brighter!"
"The world will envy you!"
"Be successful! Be famous! Be beautiful!"
But the two quietly replied:
"We seek the truth."
These words were sharper than any sword.
The merchants grew furious and reported them to the market master.
The Court of Vanity
Fig.10-2: Faithful and Christian standing trial in Vanity FairThe judge introduced himself as “One Who Hates Good.”
He shouted:
"Your truth is dangerous!
Your presence disrupts the order of the market.
Lock them in the dungeon! Beat them!"
Whispers spread through the crowd:
"Those people didn’t buy anything…"
"They refused honor, jewels, and crowns…"
"Just by passing through the market, they might shake the world…"
The Martyrdom of Faithful
Fig. 10-3: Faithful martyred on a snowy hill, guarded by Christian and Hopeful.Faithful became the ultimate victim of the trial.
He was hung on a tree along a cold slope and martyred.
Even amid the snowstorm, his face was peaceful.
His final words were:
"I have bought nothing, and have gained only the truth."
As his blood seeped into the earth,
the seeds of truth began to grow in the hearts of countless pilgrims.
Christian and Hopeful, witnessing this, were no exception.
Thinking of My Sister in Vanity Fair
I thought of Faithful, and through him, I remembered my sister.
She once lived at the center of the world’s marketplace,
yet there she encountered Jesus and received the living water of truth.
She no longer drank from the waters of vanity.
Only one phrase remained on her lips:
"Jesus, receive my soul."
That confession resonated deeply, reviving my own faith.
Fig.10-4: The Samaritan woman who met Jesus; my sister, too, once flirted with men around her but ultimately experienced a personal encounter with Him.
Standing Trial for the Storks
One day, I too found myself in Vanity Fair’s court.
The charge: “Unauthorized use of public land.”
The small enclosure where I had raised storks became a crime.
A fine of 100 million won.
That was the judgment of this nation.
But I knew the truth.
The trial was not about the storks—it was another attack by Absalom, seeking to halt the work of truth.
As Life Grows, So Does Greed
Once ignored, the stork's reintroduction project drew attention as the birds flourished.
Greed rose alongside life:
honor, power, and vested interests mingled,
turning “God’s work” into “human transactions.”
Deep in my heart I realized:
"God’s work is not a tool for pride, but a place of service marked by tears."
So I did not react.
Instead, I prayed:
"Lord, let us acquire the truth, but never sell it, even if it costs us."
The Path of Prayer
My sister cared for our mother her entire life,
living in gratitude even amidst suffering.
Her faith was expressed not in words, but in life itself.
In that moment, I recalled Stephen’s final scene in Acts:
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59)
Encountering Today’s ‘Faithful’
Fig.10-5: An Elder Preaching the Gospel in the Vanity FairOn my pilgrimage, I met an elder.
Though nearing ninety years of age, he proclaimed the truth in the marketplace like Faithful of old:
"The end of the world is near! Believe in Jesus!"
His voice stood out amidst the city’s noise, yet somehow it felt familiar.
He shared that in his youth, reading the Bible filled him with deep awe,
realizing the imminence of God’s judgment.
Like Faithful in Pilgrim’s Progress, he stepped into the streets of Vanity Fair.
Inside the church, they called him mad.
Even the pastor suggested:
"Brother, perhaps you should see a psychiatrist."
But he did not stop.
In his eyes, God’s judgment was more real than the vanities of the world.
Invited to preach at multiple churches, he stepped onto the pulpit and from the first word threw fire:
"Friends! I see not a single soul here—pastors included—who will enter heaven. How can this be?"
The congregation murmured in shock.
Yet his words were like the cry of Faithful shaking Vanity Fair—
a divine alarm awakening false faith.
He revealed the church’s hidden money, honor, power, and corruption.
Though his words were sharp, they were spoken in love.
Once a businessman, he had given all his wealth to a community called the “Cross Mission Society,”
where those recovering from alcohol, drug addiction, or crime lived together.
They worked the land, sang hymns, and were restored in the truth.
He quietly said:
"I have not sold the truth."
His eyes were pure, his life faithful.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40)
This elder was a Faithful for our time.
Truth may be hidden, but it is never lost.
It is God’s light that remains even when all worldly lights go out.
Leaving Vanity Fair Behind
I no longer seek to prove anything before the world.
I have laid down the title of “Professor of Stork Restoration,” the honors, everything.
Now I only confess before the Lord:
"I may seem unknown, yet I am renowned;
I may seem poor, yet I enrich many;
I may have nothing, yet I possess all." (2 Cor. 6:9–10)
With these words in my heart,
I quietly leave Vanity Fair.
And at the far end,
I will meet Jesus Christ, the giver of life.
A Pilgrim’s Prayer
"Lord, even in the midst of Vanity Fair,
grant me the faith to never sell the truth.
Let me choose Your name above worldly honor,
and let me not be ashamed of the gospel even amidst injustice.
Lord, may I acquire the truth without ever selling it.
In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen."